The Economic Times, 5 July 2017

“How Bengaluru helped this IT professional pursue his dream in photography”

Click here to read the article on The Economic Times site. Here’s the transcript:

BENGALURU: Though just 140 km away , to make a decision to shift to Bengaluru has not always been easy for a die-hard Mysurean, but Sharma had no such issues.

“I clearly knew Bengaluru was the next big stop for me as a Mysurean, who wanted to explore the world of information technology then, Sharma, 37, says.

Being in the IT industry that offered weekends off gave Sharma the time to explore his interests out of work. “Being from a family where photography was business (Sharma’s dad Nagaraja Sharma is a historian and photographer), it was natural that I started exploring photography as a hobby during my time off from work.“

Due to his passion for the wild and nature, the young professional began travelling regularly to enjoy wildlife of the country and taking pictures. In 2007, he won the Sanctuary Asia, Wildlife Photographer of the Year award, which gave him the idea to venture into professional photography full time.

In 2010, he founded Toehold, with like-minded friends. The company organises photography-based tours, workshops and provides related services to photography enthusiasts. “It was an idea born out of the need of amateur photogra phers. We were worried about looking for an office space, before launching the company , as there was no benchmark to follow,“ Sharma says. Seven years later, with two dozen employees based in two cities, that concern is now put to rest. “I can’t think of doing what I did, living in Mysuru.“ He attributes his venture’s success to Bengaluru, where people have both disposable income as well as an interest to pursue their hobbies.

“Bengaluru’s contribution to our business has been immense,“ he adds. Besides the weather, food and metropolitan localities here, the quality of people in Bengaluru is what he greatly loves. “It was the closest big city for me. I naturally felt that I belonged here.“